Mechanism for operating work-supports.



L. A. GASGRAIN.

MECHANISM FOR OPERATING WORK SUPPORTS.

' APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21, 1909.

1,085,591. I Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

WITNESSES- L. A. GASGRAIN.

MECHANISM FOR OPERATING WORK SUPPORTS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 21, 1909.

Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

2 SHBETSSHEET 2 i lawn/p A Ihl TED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS A. CASGRAIN, OF BEVERLY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSTGNOR TO UNITED SHOE MACHINERY COMPANY, OF PATERSON, NEW

JERSEY.

JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW MECHANISM FOR OPERATING- WORK-SUPPORTS.

1,os5,5e1.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 3, 1914.

Application filed June 21, 1909. Serial No. 503,427.

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Be it known that I, Louis A. CASGRAIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Beverly, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented. certain improvements in Mechanism for Operating Fork-Supports, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters on the drawings indieating like parts in the several figures.

his invention relates to mechanisms for operating work supports, and is of particu lar utility in machines for inserting fastenings.

In mechanisms for operating work supports of the type commonly employed in fastening inserting machines, the Work support is automatically moved first to'clamp the work against the work abutment while the fastening is being driven, and then to release the work to allow it to be fed over the work support into the proper position for receiving the next fastening. Mecha nisms of this type usually comprise also a spring which acts normally to hold the work pressed against the work abutment and cooperates with suitable clutches to compensate for variations in the thickness of the stock.

The present invention is particularly ap plicable to mechanisms of this general'charactor, and it has among its objects to pro vide a mechanism for operating work supports which will effect both the work clamping and work releasing movements positively, which will be capable of adjustment to vary minutely the extent of these move ments, and which will be adapted to operate at high speeds. The particular manner in which these results are effected will be clear from the following description of one embodiment of the invention.

The invention has been shown as applied to a machine commonly known in this art as a double clench machine, the specific construction of this machine being fully disclosed in Patent No. 1,048,134, granted Dec. 24, 1912.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 IS a view in side elevation of the machine for inserting fastenings which forms the subject matter of my co-pending application above mentioned, and shows my improved mechanism for actuating the work support applied thereto. In this figure parts of the frame have been shown broken away to illustrate more clearly the inclosed mechanism; Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the upper portion of the machine; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal, vertical section of the clutch mechanism and shows the relative positions of the parts when the clutch has just begun its downward stroke. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the lower cage of the clutch; Fig. 5 is a sectional View of a friction ring that embraces the lower cage.

A frame 10 supports the operating parts of the machine and carries near its upper end the mechanism for inserting fastenings which has been fully shown and described in the'applicat-ion above referred to. As this mechanism forms no part of the present invention it will not be herein described.

All the operating parts of the machine are driven from a main shaft 12, which in turn is driven by a constantly operated pulley 14, a suitable clutch, under the control of the operator, being interposed between the shaft and pulley so that the machine may be thrown into or out of operation at will. This clutch mechanism, as has been described in the above mentioned application, is operated by a rock shaft 16 to which is rigidly secured an arm 18. A rod 20 connects the arm 18 with a treadle 22 pivoted to the frame at 24. In order partially to counterbalance the weight of these parts a spring 26 is connected at one end to the treadle and has its other end secured to the frame. A spring 28 having its ends connected respectively to the arm 18 and a projection 30 on the frame, exerts sufficient force on the arm to throw the machine out of operation and return the treadle to its elevated position when the latter is released by the operator.

An arm 32, integral with the treadle 22, projects upwardly therefrom and is provided at its end with a roller 34 contacting with the cam surface of a block 36 pivoted to the frame at 38. The cam block 36 is provided with a finger 40 extending over and bearing upon a spring 42, one end of which is secured to the cam block and the other end of which engages the lower hooked end of the rod 44. This rod depends from one end of the rock beam 46, pivoted to the frame at 48, and the other end of the beam is positioned in a notch in the spindle 50 which supports the horn or work support 52.

The operation of the parts so far described is as follows: The operator places the shoe on the horn 52 and then depresses the,treadle 22, thus actuating the clutch and throwing the machine into operation. At the same time the movement of the treadle operates to rock the cam block 36 on its pivot depressing the finger 40, causing it to carry the end of the spring 42, and with it the rod 44, downwardly. communicated to the work support 52 which is then raised and holds the work against the work abutment with a yielding pressure due to the light spring 42. The fastening inserting operation commences immediately; and to facilitate this operation the horn is given a reciprocating movement, first clamping the work against the work abutment and then releasing the same to permit the feeding operation, which is usually effected by the awl just after the fastening has been inserted. The mechanism for producing this reciprocating movement of the work sup-.

' port comprises a rod 54, pivoted at 56 to the rock beam 46, and a clutch mechanism embracing an extension of the rod and driven from the main shaft 12. An outer shell or sleeve 58 substantially cylindrical in form and having a yoke 60 screw threaded to its upper end, forms the driving member of the clutch. A suitable cam mechanism on the main shaft 12 imparts to the yoke a reciprocating movement. The sleeve 58 is interiorly provided with oppositely inclined or coned faces 64 and 66. Upper and lower sleeves 0r cages G8 and respectively are positioned inside the sleeve 58; and received within these cages is a slide or rod 62, which forms the driven member of the clutch. The members 58, 62, 68 and 70 each have cylindrical faces and are movable relatively to each other. Pins 72 projecting from the upper end of the lower cage are received in corresponding recesses in the upper cage and serve to prevent the two cages turning relatively to each other. The lower cage is also provided at its upper end with a plurality of projections 74, so shaped as to form a plurality of pockets in which the balls 7 5 are positioned; and the upper cage 68 has similar projections at its lower end for receiving a corresponding set of balls 76. Springs 78 positioned between each of the opposing pairs of balls operate to keep the respective sets of balls properly positioned to be engaged between the inclined faces of the sleeve 58 and the rod 62.

The sleeve 58 has screw-threaded to its lower end a ring 80 having a flange 81 and projecting interiorly of the ring is a pin 82. This pin may be positioned in any one ofa number of slots between the projections 84 on the lower cage 70, and is for the purpose of enabling the cages to be adjusted into different angular positions relative to This movement is the rod 62, in order to compensate for wear, and also for the purpose of preventing rotation between the cages and the sleeve 58.

The lower end of the cage 70 is positioned in a stationary friction ring'86. This device consists of four pins 88, received in radial holes in the ring 86, and a ring shaped spring 90 pressing on the outer ends of the pins. The spring has outwardly turned ends to receive a clamping bolt 92 by means of which its tension may be adjusted.

A stationary stop 94, vertically adjustable on the frame, cooperates with the upper cage; and adjustable nuts 96 threaded on the lower cage serve as stops for this member.

In order to compensate for the weight of the parts, a spring 98 is adjustably con nected to the rod 54 by means of a clamp 100, the other end of the spring being secured to a projection 102 of the frame. The adjustment of the several springs is preferably made such that the horn will normally stay in any position in which it is placed, but due to the momentum of the parts and the weight of the work on the horn it will take its lowest position when the machine stops.

The operation of the machine is as follows: Assuming the treadle to be depressed and the horn to be raised, pressing the work against the work abutment, as previously described, the machine will then start into operation, and the clutch sleeve will be reciprocated by its connections with the main shaft. The clamping movement of the horn takes place on the downward movement of the clutch, and Fig. 3 shows the position of the parts just after this movement has commenced but before the clamping action has begun. As the sleeve 58 moves downwardly the upper set of balls 76 will be picked up by the inclined face 64 of the sleeve and pinched between the sleeve and the rod 62, thus forming a rigid driving connection between these two members. The point at which this driving action takes place will, of course, be determined by the position of the sleeve 68, which, in turn, will be determined by the position of the stop 94. If the stop is raised to its upper limit then the driving action will begin early in the stroke and a large clamping movement will be obtained; if the stop is lowered the clamping movement will be correspondingly lessened. If desired, this adjustment may be made such that the work support will be merely locked in its raised position and the clamping movement will be scarcely perceptible. It is generally preferable, however, to give the horn a slight upward movement to compress the stock just before the fastening is driven. Before the outer sleeve has reached the lowermost limit of its stroke, the flange 81 of the ring 80 will engage the stop nut 96 and move the lower cage through the friction ring. The ring is so adjusted that the cage will be held in any position to which it is moved.

The release movement of the horn to permit the feeding operation will occur on the upward stroke of the clutch; and, as in the case of the clamping operation, the point at which this movement begins will be determined by the position of the lower cage; but at a certain point the lower set of balls 75 will be picked u pinched between the sleeve 58 and the rec 62, and the rod will be given a positive upward thrust which will lowerthe horn the necessary distance to per mit the feeding over of the work. If the stop nuts 96 are high on the cage 70, then on the downward stroke of the sleeve 58, the cage will be carried a considerable distance into the friction ring, and on the upward stroke the driving connection between the sleeve and rod will be effected early and a large release movement will result. Lowering the nuts 96 011 the cage will correspondingly shorten the release movement.

It will be noted that shortly after the clamping movement has begun the flange 81 will engage the lower side of the projections 84 on the cage and move the cage upwardly through the ring 86, leaving the same in proper position to be actuated again on the downward stroke.

It is important that both the clamping and releasing movements be uniform in extent and independent of the thickness of the material operated on. In the present machine this object is attained by an adjustment which renders the rod 62 entirely free of the clutch for a short interval of time just be fore each clamping and each releasing move ment occurs. Assuming that the sleeve 58 has just completed its downward stroke, then the instant the upward movement begins, all driving action between the sleeve and rod will cease, since no driving connection can exist between these two members on the upward stroke, until the lower set of balls has been picked up. Consequently, during this interval, the horn is free to be adjusted by the spring 42 against the work and the releasing movement, which immediately follows, will therefore always be the same regardless of the thickness of the stock. It will be evident that the same operation takes place at the beginning of the downward stroke, and that the horn is free to move under the action of the spring 42 for a similar interval of time just prior to the clamping operation. On the downward stroke, when the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 3, the rod is free from any clamping action of the balls. Of course, the length of this interval at either end of the stroke will depend upon the vertical adjustment of the respective stops.

The mechanism for stopping the machine in a predetermined position, disclosed in the patent above designated and also in my Patent No. 669,023, February 26, 1901, is used in the present machine and insures the stopping of the machine with the clutch just starting on its downward stroke, and in a position shown in Fig. 3, so that the horn may be freely moved by the operator for conveniently handling the work.

The illustrated embodiment of my invention is capable of being modified in many respects without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention, and I wish it understood that I am not limited to the specified construction shown, but contemplate such modifications as lie within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described my invention, what I. claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a work support, and a driving mechanism, of means for operating said support from said driving mechanism, said means comprising a clutch sleeve, a rod extending therethrough, means between the sleeve and rod arranged to effect a driving connection between said sleeve and rod and means acting on the last-mentioned means to control the extent of said driving connection.

2. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a work support, and a main shaft, of means for operating said work support from said shaft, comprising a rod connected with the work support, a sleeve having oppositely inclined faces, and through which said rod extends, members operating between said faces and said rod to effect a driving connection in opposite directions between said rod and sleeve, and means for varying the extent of such driving movement in each direction.

3. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a work support, and means for moving said work support into work clamping position and then into work releasing position comprising a rod, a sleeve surrounding the same and provided with oppositely inclined faces, two cages located between the sleeve and rod, a set of balls positioned in each cage and arranged in opposing pairs, a spring positioned between the opposing members of each pair of balls, means for angularly adjusting said cages in said sleeve and an adjustable stop for each of said cages.

4. In a machine of the class described, the combination of a work support, a constantly operating shaft, and means for operating said work support from said shaft, comprising a rod connected with the work support, a cylindrical sleeve surrounding said rod and driven from said shaft, said sleeve being interiorly provided with two oppositely inclined faces, two opposing sets of balls cooperating respectively with said inclined faces, a spring positioned between the opposing members of the sets of balls, a movable cage in which one set of balls is retained, a clamping ring for holding said cage in an adjusted position, a second cage in which the other set of balls is retained, and an adjustable stop cooperating with the second cage.

5. In a machine of the class described, the combination with a work support and means normally holding said Work support against the work with a yielding pressure, of means for moving said work support comprising a sleeve having inclined faces, a rod guided therein and rolling members operating between said inclined faces and rod to rigidly bind the sleeve and rod together.

6. In a machine of the class described,

the combination with a work support and a main shaft, of means for operating said Work support comprising a sleeve operatively connected with said shaft and interiorly provided With a coned face, a rod connected with the work support and guided in said sleeve, a cage positioned between the rod and sleeve, adjustable means for determining the functional position of said cage and rolling members retained by said cage and operating between said rod and the coned face of said sleeve to rigidly bind said rod and sleeve together for bodily movement.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LOUIS A. GAS'GRAIN. Witnesses:

JOHN H. MGCREADY, I-I. DORSEY SPENCER.

Copies 01' this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

